Watering trough for bees



H. S. LUBBEN.

WATERING TROUGH FOR BEES. APPLICATION man MAY 5, 11920.

1 ,406,568, Patented Feb..14, 1922.

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H. S. LUBBEN. WATERING THOUGH FOR BEES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5 |920.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

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WATERING .THOUGH FORKBEES.

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Application filed May 5,

following is a specification.

This invention-is an improvement inwatering troughs for bees, anditsvprincipal object is to provide an eliicient means wherelof; clean,fresh water is atall tim-es available. Y

iinother object is to provide an accessiblel water supply for the bees,which may be used in safety by them. and which will afford warm waterlfortliem to drink. p

' The invention consists` essentially in a trouglnconnected to a watersupply, and in whichlioats a landing board, the water supply being`controlled automatically byA a `valve operable by the landinghoard insuch manner that as the board drops with the level of the water to acertain position, the valve will be opened to admit water to the trough,and when the board in rising with the water level reaches a certainposition, the valve will he closed to cut off the supply.

The landing` board is constructed with grooves in its upper surfacewhich communicate with openings extending to its lower surface so thatthe water may flow up through the openings and into the grooves. rlhegrooves are provided with longitudinally extending ribs, the uppersurfaces of which are of a convex formation, so that a plurality ofareas of"'shallow water are eX- posed by the landingboard. The spacesbetween the grooves afford safe landing places for the bees, and while`resting on these spaces, they may drink the water from the By reason ofthe shallowness of the sunlight will quickly bring the water to adesirable temperature so that tepid water will he availableV at allhours of the day.

In the accompanying drawings, which forni a part of this application,-

Figure l represents a view in perspective of a watering troughconstructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section thereof, portionsbeing broken away, the control valve being shown in closed position. f

.Figure 3 represents ,an enlarged vertical Specification of LettersPatent. Patentd Feb 14:, 1922 1920. Serial No. 378,951.

sectional view of the valve, the same being shown in open position.

Figure 4 represents a bottom plan view Vof the landing board.

view enlarged, on the line 5-5 of Figure 4f. .Figure 6 represents afragmentary longitudinal sectional view enlarged on the line 6 6 ofFigure 5. Y' u v Figure 7 represents a fragmentary -enlarged plan viewof the landing board. Referring more particularly to the drawings, thetrough is indicated at 5, and is connected by means of a suitable pipeline 6, with a source of water supply (notshown), as for instance, atank. The supply pipe 6 connects with a valve casing 7 arrangedin thefloor of the tank, and in which a valve i 8 is positioned. The valve 8-is equipped with `a rod 9 which extends vertically up into the tank andwhich projects through lan opening l() in the landing board 1l. Stops l2and 18 are arranged in spaced relation en the rod 9, one above, and onebelow the board, and are disposed preferably adjacent the upper andlower edges of the tank.

The landing board is made of wood, or some other suitable material whichwill float on the surface of the water in the trough. As the waterevaporates from the tank, the board movesV downward with the level ofthe water, until it engages the lower stop 13. Further evaporation willcause the weight of the board to be taken up by the stop, and will thusshift the valve from the closed position shown in Figure 2, to the openposition shown in Figure 3, whereupon water will passinto thetankthrough the line 6 and valve-casing .7. The board in risingwith thewater level will, as the level reaches nearest the top of the tank,engage the upper stop l2 and shift the valve upwardly inthe openposition indicated in Figure 3, to the closed position indicated inFigure 2, thus cutting off the water supply. Thus the water supply willbe automatically controlled by the movements of the landing board. Thelevels at which the valve will be operated in one direction and theother, may be controlled and adjusted by shifting the stops 12 and 13 tothe desired positions on the rod 9, suitable holding means for thestops, such as set screws, or the like being provided.

The landing board is provided on its upper surface with a plurality ofspaced longitudinally extending grooves 14, The

r igure 5 represents a transverse sectional floors of the grooves areformed with upwardly projecting ribs 15 having convexupper surfaces 16,so that the areas of water eX- posed in the grooves, while beingrelatively wide, will be shallow, so that the suns rays will quicklylwarm the water to a desirable temperature. In the lower face of theboard, openings 17 are made, which are of a diameter slightly greaterthan the width of the rib 15, so that communicating ports 18 between theopenings 17 and the grooves 14 are thus provided. Each of the groovesthus communicates at a plurality of points with'the lower surface of theboard, so that when the board is placed in a trough, the Water will findaccess into the grooves through the openings 17 and ports 18. Thelanding spaces 19, occurring between the grooves let, on the uppersurface of the board, will project slightly above, the water level, soas to remain always in a dry state, and on these spaces the bees mayland and drink from the water in the grooves.

I claim,-

l. In a device of the class described, thc

combination of a trough, a water supply line connecting with the trough,a valve for conl trolling the water supply line, a floating landingboard arranged in the trough, a

stem for the valve extending through the landing board, and spaced stopsarranged on the valve on opposite sides of the landing board whereby asthe board moves with the level of the liquid inthe trough, the valvewill be closed when the board reaches one predetermined level, and willbe opened when the board reaches another predetermined level.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a trough, awater supply means therefor, a valve controlling the water supply means,a floatingwlanding board arranged inthe trough, and movable with thewater level therein, and means operable by the landing board foractuating the valve.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a trough, afluid supply means therefor, a valve for controlling the fluid supply, afloating landing board having means for exposing areas of fluid to theatmosphere, and means operable by the landing board for actuating thevalve.

4. In a device of the class described, av

landing board having a plurality of spaced grooves provided in its uppersurface,l upwardly extending ribs on the floors of the grooves havingconvex upper surfaces, openings provided in the lower surface of theboard and communicating with the grooves, the upper surfaces of theboard between the grooves affording landing places.` l,

5. In a device of the class described, a landing board having aplurality of grooves in its upper face, ribs extending into the 4groovesfor reducing the cross-sectional areaof said grooves, said board beingprovided in its lower face with openings communicating with'the grooves.t

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

HENRY` S. LUBBEN.

